Night conditions applied to the first turn of play, and could only be cancelled when the British commander succeeded on a six-sided dieroll. Darkness limited movement to 8 inches and prevented aircraft from attacking. Units received a +1 concealment bonus and vision was extremely limited.
In turn one, all Axis forces advanced 8 inches towards the enemy. Axis tank units also had several special skills - stormtrooper (German) and avanti (Italian) - which allow them to make an additional move during the assault phase. Every platoon passed the skill test, and advanced further into the darkness.
The closest Crusader tanks also advanced, but were unable to engage because of the extreme distance and low visibility.